Day 43-44, Nuremberg/Halle

Well it was a shame to leave our penthouse apartment in Bern, but two days of driving awaited us - first to the beautiful old city of Nuremberg (pictured), then to last night's show at the Golden Rose in Halle, dare I say it, another beautiful old city. It would be tempting to start labelling some of these these places as 'typical' german towns/cities, and I guess they are in a sense, but not in a way that makes them any less captivating on first visit. Especially coming from Australia. And despite the architecture bearing similarities, each town still has its own sense of place about it. Maybe it's different if you've grown up in this part of the world, but a beautiful city will always be a beautiful city, no matter how many times you look at it. If only I had a little more time to delve into the history of it all, but this is the nature of touring, and I guess sometimes just looking is appreciation enough. Especially on a day like this...

Last night's show at the Golden Rose in Halle was pretty special. The oldest tavern in town we're told, and a lovely room for acoustic music. I was having such a great time, I played for a good 90mins before I checked my watch, it was only the guy nodding off in the back row that made me think perhaps I should wind things up... But even then, I kept on playing after the show, unplugged, at a table with friends, for another 20mins or so. And I left with a nice feeling about that, because after all, that's what music should be about. Sitting down, relaxing, singing songs with friends, all of us sharing in the experience. I'm not saying I don't enjoy 'concert' environments because I do, very much so. But when the performance is over, the lights fade and the volume goes down, as long as there's a guitar and a few people about, you can still all have a bloody great time. At least until the singer realises his voice is about to pack it in... A big thanks to the my new friends in Halle, and to my good friend Diana for making the trip from Berlin to sing some BV's again. A great night indeed. Wunderschon. With two dots above the o.

And so to the last part of this blog, the most important part really, where I must say a big THANK YOU, or VIELEN DANK!!! to my tour manager Lena (pictured left here with Vondo Jules in Berlin), who is leaving me to go walkabout in the jungles of Peru. For those of you who don't know the story, I first came to Germany 5 years ago and met Lena at the train station in Magdeburg, where she'd organised a 'gig crawl' at a few of the bars in town with a local band - Once Upon a Rooftop. I've returned to play in Germany nearly every year since thanks largely to Lena's efforts (along with her Vondo counterpart Julia), booking shows here and there, putting me in touch with others who might be able to help, and just generally offering a great deal of assistance for someone coming from the other side of the world. In that time she's also become a great friend and supporter of mine, and it's been nothing other than a real blessing to have met and been able to work with her, progressing in our on ways but also being able to share in that progress at different times along the way. This has been the longest tour so far, and a great deal of work went into into the planning and preparation, not to mention the day-to-day running/organisation/trouble-shooting along the way. None of it would have been possible without Lena's persistence and determination, but also her passion for independent music, and her vision for the VondoMachine as a platform to connect artists and audiences in a way that is real, enduring, and mutually beneficial. Something that the big labels etc, in a popular sense at least, struggle to offer. I'm sure there'll be more chances to work with Lena in the future, and I'll look forward to that when the time comes. But for now, it's goodbye and thanks. For the tour, for the company, and for helping me to be vegan for nearly a week. Damn those home made scones. Travel safe Leneberg! xx

Day 42, Bern, Switzerland

Light switches. Why does every country have different light switches? There's a line in one of my songs somewhere that says 'help me switch the light on, help me understand'. And maybe this is the point where art imitates life. Maybe it's not as philosophical as first intended, maybe it's as simple as switching a light on in a different country. Because I don't understand. I don't understand at all. This is Switzerland's offering. It's sort of like one of the older ones in Australia, but there's a little circle round it. Why do you think they need that? And yet over in Germany most of them are big and square. I'm not sure what to expect when I get to Austria, Slovenia and Italy but one thing's for sure a world of excitement awaits. The type of excitement one can only appreciate when they've been playing gigs and living out of a suitcase for the past two months. Tally ho.

This is the view from our penthouse apartment this morning in Bern, quite spectacular really with the snow-capped peaks of the swiss alps in the background, done absolutely no justice by the average smartphone. I decided to travel with my phone only this trip and no proper camera, on account of me rarely using the proper camera when I have it. As expected, I wish I had the proper camera. Will have to figure that out a little better in the future... But photo quality aside, it's not a bad spot to play a house concert you'd have to agree. No doubt we're in one of those buildings that most of the local residents look at and think 'why did they ever build that?!', but the thing about those buildings is - it's all about perspective. When you're staying at the top of one they're fucking fantastic! A big thanks to Janine, Yvonne and the rest of the gang here. Also my old friend Sam from Sydney, who'd driven from Neuchatel* to be here. Always nice to see a familiar face on the other side of the world. (*The 'a' in Neuchatel is meant to have a little triangle on top of it. Ah European alphabets, they just can't make their mind up over here can they? Light switches are the least of their worries!)

Finally, if you caught yesterday's blog and you've put two and two together you'll realise that, being in Bern, we managed to get our car fixed in Freiburg. Well not necessarily, we might have taken a train.... But here's a picture of the mechanic counting through the tour CD sales to prove that yes, the car has been repaired. Insomuch as it is good enough to keep rolling on for a few more weeks. Just enough to play a few more gigs, see a few more views, and meet a few more cool people, like the guy below perhaps... And at the end of the day that's all you can ask for isn't it? Well, you could probably ask for some other stuff. A bit more sun. A decent flat white. A vintage Kombi. A house by the ocean maybe. But I guess some things are worth waiting for... Driving to Nuremburg today, isn't that famous for something? I'll have to look it up. See you soon x

Day 40-41, Freiburg

G'day from Freiburg, on the edge of the famous black forest, another pretty little German town which sadly will be remembered as the location of the great tour car calamity. On two fronts in fact. The first, a speeding fine, potentially not too expensive on account of me doing about 45 in a 30 zone, still frustrating nonetheless given the 30 zone was between the hours of 10pm and 6am, this to prevent excess noise in the area, because as we all know a car travelling 50km/h makes a god awful racket when compared to a car doing 30km/h. Say nothing of the fact that the car travelling 30km/h takes nearly twice as long to get past the houses that are apparently being protected from the noise, nor of the fact that the average visiting motorist who, upon seeing the unmistakable flash of a 'Blitzer' at 1 o'clock in the morning, perhaps an hour or so after finishing another nice concert on the other side of the world, decides to scream the loudest obscenity possible out of his drivers side window, thus waking up the entire neighbourhood. (Ok so I didn't do that, but some part of me would have felt some justice had been served, however petty that may seem....).

Continuing on, there is a second part to the great car calamity. A far more bitter pill to swallow in many respects, but one of those things that just happens when you are driving thousands of kilometres with an old car. Namely, the funny noise you need to have checked out (the one which is always far less noticeable at 50km/h than it is at 30), just in case it's serious, just to make sure you can finish the tour, whereby the local mechanic rubs his hands in delight at the sight of two unsuspecting victims rolling into his garage on a Monday morning, takes the car to check it out for an hour or so, then calls you to explain the repair bill will be one thousand Euro. Say it again, one thousand Euro. But as with all things vehicular, there's nothing that can be done. And in fairness to the local mechanic, he seemed like a nice enough sort of chap, not the type to rob us blind. And it's wonderful when you have driven old cars all your life, because you can arrive at a place of complete peace and acceptance with such unspeakable tragedies on the road. And if we're being honest, maybe it wouldn't have happened with a newer, more expensice car, but maybe there would have been two funny lights on the dashboard instead, the kind that seem like meaningless trivialities until the guy at the workshop tells you the computer needs to be replaced. And then a thousand Euro would seem like a drop in the ocean. Ah well, C'est la vie as they say. C'est la vie. And at a time like this, perhaps it's appropriate to post a little song I recorded at the breakfast table yesterday morning - one of Bobbie D's old classics - Don't think twice it's alright. A very rough version it must be said, but a title that is entirely befitting of the current state of affairs.

Click here if you'd like to listen to the song, you can hear Lena packing in the background and you'll have to turn the speakers up very loud but you'll get the idea. Nothing fancy. Just a guy playing a half size guitar at a breakfast table. Cool.

On a final note, perhaps a much clearer note than most of the ones I was hitting in the aforementioned recording, I should mention my excursion to the local football match yesterday, to watch Freiburg vs Hamburg in the Bundesliga. My first trip to watch top tier European football (believe it or not I have still never been to see the Premier League), and a memorable one at that. Made even moreso by the fact that the guy standing next to us, upon hearing that I was a touring musician from Australia, decided he simply had to buy me a local beer. Which I have to say went down quite nicely whilst watching a few blokes chasing a little white ball round a field in front of 25,000 or so of their nearest and dearest, a crowd filled with the type of passion the average Waratahs supporter could only dream of. And if you thought the whole car thing was bad luck, spare a thought for the poor goal keeper from Freiburg, who had to endure his own calamitous chain of events, namely three horrendous goal keeping blunders that led to the home side's 0-3 defeat. And not one of his team mates offered the slightest gesture of consolation the whole time. And maybe that's why I don't feel so bad today. The poor bloke. I feel for ya. I realise you'll probably never read this blog, or even understand it for that matter, but I still felt the need to address you in the second person. Keep your chin up mate. C'est la vie.

Thanks to our host Chris for a great couple of days here. And the Vaubar for a cool gig on Saturday night. That'll do me for now, I'm off to Switzerland. I hope. We still haven't picked the car up... Fingers crossed..... x

Day 39, Heidelberg

Sorry for the delay folks, internet kaput yesterday, but I still wrote the blog see...?

Guten tag from Heidelberg, one of the more picturesque cities we've visited so far, and home to another thriving student population, as with so many towns before it. The student culture here in Germany is fantastic. From what I've seen over the years, people are relaxed, open-minded, often eager to explore new horizons, and typically very accepting of whoever they encounter along the way. It's a nice change from the tall poppy mentality that is unfortunately so prevalent at times in Australia. Each experience therefore can be appreciated on its merits, at that time, rather than having to carry the burden of pre-judgements and misconceptions. I'm sure I've been guilty of this in the past myself, it's endemic in our way of life back home. And yes you could argue that it keeps people in check, helps them stay grounded, doesn't let them get ahead of themselves, but there's a slightly more sinister element to it, something that doesn't allow success to be fully celebrated, and that's where at times we shoot ourselves in the foot. I went to see Bruce Springsteen for the first time earlier this year and I found my self wondering if he would have reached the same heights growing up and cutting his teeth in Australia rather than America. The Rock Star. The larger-than-life personality. The enigma. I'd like to think he would have, that true quality always finds a way to rise above the rest, but sadly I'm not so sure...

Anyway perhaps we should leave that little ocean of positive energy I just created and talk about castles. Why? Because Heidelberg has a cracker! Built in the 11-1200's, it has seen it's fair share of trouble over the years, and the crumbling walls are a testament to that, but it hasn't lost any of it's magic in spite of the wounded facade. Especially on a warm Autumnal afternoon, the type you simply can't let slip away without taking a stroll to an old castle for lunch in the sun. Perched above Heidelberg, the surrounding views are quite stunning, fortunately unaffected by the hoards of tourists shuffling along with audio guides round their neck. I can handle the occasional audio guide, no doubt there were stories to tell about this big old masterpiece, but the day was far too beautiful to get caught up in all that nonsense.

Now to get back to my initial thread, before I was sidetracked by castles and tall poppies - the students. Which was somehow going to lead me to last night's house concert, although I'm not exactly sure how I was going to get there. Regardless, I appear to be there now, so let me elaborate. Another big student party (ah there's the link, that wasn't so difficult was it...), held at the new house of Luggi, a Heidelberg local who has hosted both Brett and Mijo in years past, twice each in fact. I'm told that means I have to come back for a 2nd performance, and after last night's show I'll happily sign up to the task. This was Luggi's 25th birthday party, and also a chance to stage a concert in his new abode for the first time. Think a big old bar on the ground floor, with 8 people sharing 2 floors upstairs, a DJ spinning decks in the basement, crates of beer in the kitchen, food aplenty, and a whole bunch of friends there to let their hair down on a Friday night. Ah hair. Those were the days... But I digress, I think you get the picture, and if you don't there's a few here for you. Nice to hear Maria (one of the house mates) sing in the middle of my set too - a beautiful voice, floating effortlessly through a couple of Laura Marling tunes. I always appreciate the chance to enjoy other performances, however brief they might be, as work my way around. Maybe next time she'll play a few more. I can't imagine there'd be too many arguments...

Thanks to Luggi and everyone else in the house. Awesome. One last show before a night off, then Bern and Halle next week. A few more too, I just can't think of them at the moment. But they're on my website somewhere. Or my Facebook page. I'm sure of it. Because I just went and fixed up all the mistakes yesterday. Sorry about that... Freiburg here we come x

PS - Look I found another Kombi van. On the wall last night. It says California on it too. Maybe it's a sign... Hmmm... Or maybe it just says California on the side of it. Whatever the case, I think I'm getting closer to the real thing...

Day 38, Mainz

Greetings from Mainz, another stately old German city, perched on the Rhine and about 30mins drive west(ish) of Frankfurt. Like Marburg and Dresden before it, home to some beautiful old buildings, based on what I can see from my kitchen window and a quick perusal of google images to find the photo above. And there you have the more rudimentary side of touring folks, the part where the late nights catch up with you, you need to sleep in, you need to re-park the car, you have a late breakfast, and then you try to tie up some loose ends on the interwebs in the hope of being able to see at least a little bit of the city you're in before you take off for the next destination. And I may or may not be able to explore Mainz before I leave, but at the very least I'll be making a trip to the (highly recommended) local gelato shop for a bit of soul food, and I'll take with me the memory of that little burst of excitement I felt driving in over the Rhine for the first time. There's no doubt touring can be hard work at times, but the explorer in me will never die...

Had a great time last night at Nirgendwo ('Nowhere' in English) - a touch of the British pub about it which was in stark contrast to Wednesday's living room concert, but enjoyable all the same, in a different kind of way. As much as I like playing unplugged and acoustic in small intimate spaces, my experience in pubs over the years also helps me appreciate those types of environments as well, there's a familiarity to them. Local drinkers swap stories at the bar, the set list changes slightly to adjust to the PA system, there's a different energy in the performance, and I can get a bit of a groove happening on the stomp box. It's taken me a year or so to figure out how best to use it, but slowly I've learned what works for my music and what doesn't. In a simpler sense, I guess it just helps me rock out a bit. Which is always good fun, wherever you are....

A final thanks to Willy at Nirgenwo and our hosts last night Robert and Meike - see you in Australia some time...?! I'm off to find Gelato, next stop Heidelberg... x

Day 37, Marburg

Hello again folks. Had a wonderful show here in Marburg last night, one of the best of the tour so far. There's something to be said for the energy that you encounter when you first walk into a place, the way people greet you, the way they interact with each other, and the overall atmosphere that's been created. (Or the 'Vibe' if you're a fan of one of my favourite movies - The Castle). Last night we were welcomed with open arms, big smiles, and a genuine interest. Both before, during and after the show. And I've said it before, but it's nice to feel so welcome, so at home even, on the other side of the world. I often think a lot of life is about finding your people, the ones you connect with, the ones that accept you for who you are and understand that. And vice versa. If I didn't need to be in Mainz tonight, I could quite happily stay and hang out with the kind folks in Marburg for a few days. I get the feeling there'd be a few of 'my people' here. I'm sure Lena would say the same thing.

Marburg itself is a beautiful little town. An old storybook village feel in parts, nestled in amongst the hills with a grand old castle towering above it all (built during the 9th or 10th century if you believe Wikipedia). I was speaking to a woman in one of the local shops this afternoon, who told me she walks to work each morning below the castle and a part of her can almost hear the knights on horseback, riding through the cobblestone streets, as in medieval times. Pretty cool I thought. Certainly it seems to have escaped the main 'tourist trail', so it has retained a little bit of that magic that often gets lost when a place is 'discovered' in that sense. It's also a popular destination for students in this part of Germany, many of whom I met last night at the concert. Very relaxed, easy-going, and happy enough to sit there and listen to my tunes for an hour or so on a Wednesday evening. Thumbs up all round. A big thanks to Jan, Joren, Nele and Marina for hosting the gig and having us to stay. My good mate Brett Winterford has played here a couple of times here already, I hope to return one day as well.

PS - I'm not trying to start a toilet appreciation society I promise, but after yesterday's brush with Vladimir Putin in Leipzig, I couldn't help but show you the following night's offering, a magnificent tropical marine wonderland, not dissimilar from another we encountered in Berlin, certainly invoking a far more relaxing range of emotions than your average Russian president. Which is sort of the point I guess..... But you know, enough about that, we're off to Mainz. Ciao for now x

Day 36, Leipzig

Who's that?! Why it's Vladimir Putin, staring you down whilst you take a leak. Slightly disconcerting you'd have to say, although as an inducement to help you go about your business in the quickest time possible, thus freeing up the bathroom for one of your 8 housemates, you'd have to say it's quite effective. The world of toilet decoration is rather fascinating, another thing I'm discovering as I'm touring round Germany... although I feel that's a topic for a different blog. And perhaps the average concert host would prefer their restroom to remain anonymous - what goes on toilet, stays on toilet. Or in. As the case may be. But that's enough about that.... It was a shame to leave Dresden yesterday, it's a grand old city on the river Elbe, and the type of place I could imagine spending a lot more time, if I had it... But you know that's the nature of touring, at the very least it's nice to make a mental note of the places you'd like to visit again. Dresden is certainly one of those.

Last night's venue, LU99, was a cool little room on the ground floor of a big old Leipzigian apartment building. I don't know if that's the technical term for something from Leipzig, but that's what I'm going with today. My good mate Mijo Biscan played the first ever concert here when he toured with Lena a few years ago, and they now hold regular concerts for the residents of the building and the local community. It's not the first time this tour that we've come across a similar situation - Duisburg is another example that springs to mind - when Mijo and Lena first toured through Germany, they played 43 concerts in 43 days. No mean feat you'd have to agree, and many of those concerts were through contacts on couch surfing. Rather than just asking for a place to stay, Mijo also offered to play a concert in the living room or something similar, where the hosts could invite a few friends along to watch a touring musician from Australia. A few years on from that first tour, many of the places that Mijo and Lena visited are still hosting regular house concerts, and that's a bit of a success story in itself.

A big thanks to Daniel and the rest of the gang here in Leipzig, not just for hosting us, but also for the incredible soup AND the North Korean schnapps. A little memento Daniel had picked up from his recent trip there as part of a university exchange/co-op program of some sort. I'm not sure what was in the schnapps, but if I start praising Kim Jong Il Jnr in future blogs, please forgive me.

Adios, I'm off to take a wander round Leipzig, then it's off to Marburg. Alles gut. Till tomorrow... x

Day 33-35, Weimar/Dresden/Prague

Hi folks, sorry for the brief absence but I took a bit of a break from the interwebs over the past few days. Was planning to check in yesterday with the news from Dresden, but as it happens we were only a couple of hours drive from Prague, a city I've always wanted to visit... and given the proximity, it would have been rude not to! Certainly didn't disappoint, a real romance to it, grand old buildings, cathedrals, gothic architecture, cobbled streets, quintessentially European in many ways, extra special on a crystal clear day with the surrounding autumnal hills forming a fairly stunning backdrop... And that's before they switch all the lights on, slightly blurred perhaps by the 13% locally brewed pilsener, but still fairly spectacular nonetheless. Also got to record a little video with Michael and Meli from the Dresden-based Artist Playground, will be able to post the results of that sometime soon... A nice way to spend a Monday you'd have to say.

Sunday night in Dresden I performed at the Kukulida, a locally run venue which was part bar, part performance space, part rehearsal room, and part whatever else you'd want to do with it. Which is perhaps was why there was an old bathtub on the stage, although I'm still struggling to think of exactly what anyone would have done with that. Certainly nothing to do with having a bath, at least not if you wanted to emerge cleaner in any way... But then perhaps they left it there for slightly eccentric Australian musicians, on tour in Dresden for the first time, who for whatever reason decide that it might be a good idea to stand in the bathtub and play a song. Purely so in the future they could tell people they 'played in a bathtub in Dresden'. Sort of has a ring to it don't you think...? Well maybe, maybe not, but it was just the one song, The Birds if you were wondering, before normal service resumed, seated with guitar in hand, stomp beneath the right foot, limited selection of harmonicas available on the chair beside me. Much like I was playing at home in Australia, it's always nice when a gig feels like that. A big thanks to everyone who came along, and also to my good friend Diana, who made the trip from Berlin to join me on BV's for a few tunes... Wunderbar. (Sorry about the pic, that's the best I had....!)

Working backwards, day 33 also happened there somewhere, in Weimar, but I was struck down by a severe bout of caffeine withdrawal, on account of me abstaining over here for a little while. Why you'd choose do that in the middle of a tour is beyond me, but there you go... And you know sometimes it good to try things. Which is why I was singing a song in a bathtub. And why I drove to Prague. In fact it's why I do a lot of things. It's why I started music in the first place. Whatever happens, it's always worth it...

Off to Leipzig. See you soon... x

PS - Sorry a final thanks to our hosts here in Dresden - Robert and Katya - you can check out some of their work here. Great meeting creative people in different parts of the world! Also they have an amazing apartment. Here's the view... Alright!

Day 32, Weimar

Just a short post today folks. Nice little busking session yesterday afternoon in Weimar, where the average age of the audience seemed to be either 30-40, or 0-10, as evidenced by the picture above. But you know, little kids seem to love dropping coins into guitar cases, and their parents appear more than happy to encourage this altruistic behaviour. Which is highly beneficial for people like myself, singing away in the hope of making enough money to afford some black sesame ice cream from the local gelato shop. Mission accomplished.

Last night's show was at the ACC cafe, directly opposite some sort of palace, the kind that a more diligent tourist would be able to tell you more about (as with the poets yesterday...). Alas my brand of tourism is slightly more unique, as I was explaining last night - I once rode 30mins in Berlin to find Grosse Hamburger Strasse, just so I could buy a big hamburger on that street. That was amusing for me, it probably isn't for the average palace-loving camera-toting foreigner. Not that I don't love palaces, I do. Some of them are quite spectacular. But I'm just as happy munching on a 1 Euro bratwurst from the mobile brat-man, purely for the novelty of buying a German sausage on a roll from a dude with a portable kitchen round his neck. (Unfortunately yet to find one this trip...)

Where was I, yes the show. A very quiet affair last night, but I haven't quite made the front pages here in Weimar so you can never quite be sure who is going to show up... Still I had a nice time, enjoyed playing the old upright in the corner, and with every quiet gig there is a silver lining (of sorts) - I was standing in front of one of the most intriguing pieces of artwork I had ever seen. Particularly the part right behind me, where a middle-age man was getting his fill from a local damsel in distress...

I can't quite figure out what it meant, but then it made perfect sense when viewed in context with the rest of the piece, which took up most of the walls on 3 sides of the room. Sort of like an acid trip, although obviously created by someone who wasn't on acid at the time he created it. Which made it all the more vexing. But three cheers for him/her, because it gave me a funny photo, and a funny story to tell in the future. And life is about stories folks. At least that's what I tell myself when I'm playing music in front of a breast-feeding middle age man. Thanks to the kind folks that came along. Adios. See you soon.... x

Day 31, Weimar/Erfurt...

Well I wanted to write something yesterday about the fires back home, feeling such a long way away and powerless to help is always difficult but it's good to know we still have each other, and at the end of the day that's the most important thing, in spite of the hardships that we face along the way.... Over here in Germany we're currently enjoying a relaxing few days in Weimar, I guess some way near the mid-point of the tour, although I can't exactly be sure... It's not uncommon for me to be asking what day of the week it is, and I seem to be constantly checking the Facebook event page to see where we're headed next. Still, as an independent musician on the other side of the world, I guess these are good problems to have!

Winding the clock back a little, Wednesday night I played in a massive share house here in Weimar, a pretty incredible place but not the first of it's kind I have seen here in Germany. A combination of students and young professionals, 12 altogether at last count they tell me, but a nice relaxed environment (there may or may not have been some marijuana present, no I didn't...), felt very welcome the whole time. The picture to the right is where I played the gig - just at the bottom of the stairs there... A split-level affair which was pretty cool.

In conjunction with the gig, the guys at the house were also running a community kitchen of sorts, where neighbours/friends etc were invited to join them for dinner, for the cost of a few coins. I haven't seen this type of thing in Sydney much, but then I haven't typically lived in houses with 12 people. I once lived in a big house in London, perhaps 11 at one point, but from memory there was rarely enough food to feed myself and my room mate, let alone the entire neighbourhood. Certainly not in our cupboard anyway. It was much easier to stop at the Kebab shop on your way home at 2am. But I'm sure they do that here too... Anyway thanks to Kathie for arranging the concert and hosting us here in Weimar - a beautiful little town, have enjoyed wandering around and taking in the fresh autumn air. Some famous writers used to live here apparently - Goethe and Schiller - but I know precious little about either of them. Certainly not enough to expand in any way on this photograph....

Last night we took at trip to Erfurt to try our luck with the bars in town, despite not having a booking anywhere. By my Australian logic, I always figure if you show up with your guitar and a PA and offer to play for nothing, you'll eventually find a place that wants to give it a go. I'm not sure if things work the same way in this part of the world, but you might say we found a middle ground - The Dubliner Irish pub. I think it was Lena's initial sales pitch that got us over the line rather than a strange Australian dude in his new snap-back baseball cap (don't judge me, please don't judge me, I'm not trying to be trendy I just saw it in the shop and thought it looked ok....), but in any case the bar manager was a kind fella from Dublin who was more than happy to give it a go (thanks Dennis!). Fortunately in Germany the tipping culture for musicians means you can play for nothing, pass a hat around the bar, and wind up with enough coins to at least pay for dinner and a bit of petrol... just to keep you going to the next place... And maybe that's all you need....?

Day 30, Weimar

Hello again from Weimar, where we all enjoyed a great show last night, but sadly I awoke this morning to some terrible news from back home, and that's what I'd like to write about today. In Australia, we often see fires in the news, but fortunately precious few of us ever have a personal connection to the people affected. So we watch from afar, feeling a sense of empathy for the people whose lives have been forever altered by a tragic turn of events, but also feeling fortunate that we still have our friends and family around to share in our lives, that we didn't have to experience the loss of life or property that many have to deal with in these times. I'm glad to say that once again, despite the proximity of the current bush fires in the Blue Mountains, our family remains intact today, and my heart goes out to all those people who have lost loved ones as a result of the current devastation.

Sadly however, Sonter's Fern Nursery in Winmalee, my grandparent's pride and joy, the business they started from scratch and have since operated through good times and bad for over 40 years, was not so lucky. My Uncle, just as much a part of the Sonter's story and the current Managing Director, somehow survived in the residence on the property, but could only watch on helplessly as the nursery was incinerated around him. Literally, within a matter of hours. One can only imagine how he felt, or for that matter how my grandparents felt hearing the news, but in any case to see so much hard work disappear is truly heartbreaking for us all. Everyone in our family has been involved with the business in some way over the years, and in a sense the nursery has helped make our family what it is today. Needless to say, it's hard being on the other side of the world when something like this happens, I guess it makes you realise how far away you are...

I wanted to leave you with a story about the nursery, something my grandfather related to me earlier this year when we were doing some renovations to my mother's back porch. When he was 7 or 8yrs old, he told me, he was walking in bushland near his house and stumbled across a natural grotto, surrounded by the most beautiful ferns he had ever seen (I guess similar to the picture above, it's the best I could find online...). Eighty years on, he still remembers how he felt that day, such was his connection to what he saw. And so it was, he told me, when he started the nursery, there was an added motivation involved. He wanted to grow enough ferns that, one day, everyone in Australia would have a chance to buy a fern of their own and feel the way he did when he first stumbled across that grotto. And, he continued, "I did that. I grew enough ferns. And I'm proud of that".

Some motivation indeed. It seems an injustice that the nursery should be taken away in such cruel circumstances, but I'll always be eternally grateful to my grandparents for the lives we have been afforded and the opportunities we've had as a result of the little business they started out of the back of a van all those years ago. It's a story to be proud of, and a journey to aspire to.

My thoughts are with you all back home. Lots of love from Weimar xx

Day 28-9, Magdeburg

Two days off in Magdeburg, and both of them were spent searching. The first for forest mushrooms, of the edible non trip-inducing variety, the second for vintage Kombi vans, at the home of Volkswagen in Wolfsburg. You'll be very happy to hear that on both occasions the search was successful!! Alas, whilst Lena was able to create a tremendous feast from our two baskets full of forest mushrooms, the folks at Volkswagen weren't too interested in trading our 1998 Opel whatever-it-is meroon station wagon for their 1966 Vintage two-tone split-screen mint condition Kombi van, proudly displayed in one of the numerous exhibition halls at the Autostadt (well worth a visit if you're ever nearby, even if you don't like cars that much - quite incredible). So the search continues on the Kombi front, but I'll move forward with the knowledge that if I'm ever stuck in a forest in Germany during mushroom season, I'll be ok. And I'll take with me the memory of this beautiful old vintage bus which, to me, is about as close to perfection in a vehicle as you can come...

Last night was my final show in Magdeburg for the tour, the third for this trip - a 'Wohnzimmerkonzerte' (Living room concert) in an apartment down-town. Unlike most of the other house-concerts we have played this trip, we didn't actually have a personal connection to the person hosting the event. 'Wohnzimmerkonzerte Magdeburg' is an independently run organisation which holds two concerts each month, featuring different artists in different apartments around Magdeburg. Not dissimilar to High Tea in Sydney, which holds fortnightly concerts in a warehouse apartment in Surry Hills, the aim of these nights is to give the artist an intimate performance environment, whilst also providing a unique concert experience for the audience in attendance. It's a win-win situation, made possible by generosity of the people who organise the events, often donating their time and effort free of charge to help give independent music a greater voice. Needless to say, that's a great thing for people like me, who often operate on a 'take-what-you-get' basis when it comes to new venues/audiences. And so it was that last night I was fortunate enough to perform to a room full of people, attentive throughout and even partly receptive to my bizarre sense of humour, slightly more animated than usual on account of me seeing my dream Kombi earlier in the day... A big thanks to Tina for the invitation, and Thomas for hosting last night's event. Not forgetting everyone who came along of course - I'm not sure you could understand what I was saying, but I appreciate you going the distance nonetheless! Next stop Weimar... x

PS - If you'd like to see some photos from last night's concert, then you can try clicking HERE. Another pic from the Autostadt below. Wouldn't mind touring in one of these either, although I'd need to sell a few more CD's to pay for the petrol...

Day 27, Stendal, house concert...

Tragedy of all tragedies... I was a mere 8hrs short of completing my one-week vegan challenge, when I was confronted by some beautiful home-made scones. From an Irish recipe no less. And being as I was a guest for the afternoon, and knowing that the scones had been made that morning, especially for my house concert, I was swept up by an overwhelming sense of moral obligation (possibly also a love of fresh-baked scones, which became a staple when I was living in Ireland...), and the Vegan challenge was defeated. But then in a way that sort of illustrates one of the reasons I would find it difficult to be vegan. It's not so much the diet - I was more than happy with what I had eaten all week, never felt cravings for anything else, I don't really have much meat/dairy in my diet anyway - but there's a specificity to it that I would find hard to incorporate into my daily life. And there's a part of me that likes to be able to share in something - home made scones for example - that has been prepared by someone else, with love, as a gift. If I was walking past a bakery and saw/smelled the scones that afternoon, then I wouldn't have had a problem carrying on without stopping. But being a guest (the special guest in this case), it's nice to be able to eat something when I know it's been prepared for the occasion. (As with Julia's grandmother's home-made cake that I sampled later on...how could I not?!). There's a certain pride that's felt when people cook something for others, and it's nice to be able to share in that, whatever it might be. These days it seems there are so many dietary requirements flying around, and I'm aware many of them are necessary... but in some way it feels like we've forgotten that old art of being thankful for what is offered. I wouldn't rule out being vegan at some point in the future, mainly because as I said earlier it wouldn't be such a huge departure from my current diet. But there's a few hurdles I would have to overcome, and I don't feel the need to do that right now. Also I love ice cream. A lot. Normal ice cream. The creamy stuff. Gelato especially. Definitely not ready to give that up. Just look at it!! Yeeeeooowwww!!

Anyway, I'm meant to be talking about a house concert here... Sorry about that. A nice afternoon in the home of Julia's mother, Eveline, who I met for the first time when touring Germany last year. One of the more kind-spirited people you are likely to meet, she'd even prepared a hand-made invitation for the house concert, featuring a few of my lyrics scattered around the artwork. I wish I had a photo to show you... I'll try to figure that out for a future entry... A small crowd in attendance, but a nice homely feel, much the same as if I was playing music for people in my own living room. Also great to see the VondoMachine reunited for the day (Lena and Julia, pictured below). A relaxed afternoon with friends, singing songs and eating scones. Maybe there's a lyric in there somewhere. Or maybe not... Anyway a big thanks to Eveline, thanks to Nina for the scones (which I have now mentioned several times, they were damn good!), and thanks to everyone who came along to listen to a crazy Australian singing with no shoes on. It's often a source of fascination for German people this barefoot thing - I think I'll have to do it more often. Not that I like to use cheap tricks, but sometimes they help...!

We're off to the forest to find mushrooms. See you soon... x

Day 26, Helmstedt

Five years ago, I came to Germany to play music for the first time and was met at the entrance to Magdeburg station by Lena, who had organised a little gig pub crawl on a Saturday evening... I wouldn't have known Lena had she not lived in Sydney and become friends with Brett Winterford. Fortuitously, he had just been to Germany himself and put the two of us in touch, and a few weeks later here I was in a town I had never heard of about to bust out some tunes on a Saturday night. The picture above is a copy of the original flyer from that night... You'll notice it says 'Sydney meets Magdbeburg', and down the bottom you can see my name and another band - 'Once upon a Rooftop' - a local duo who were part of that first night performing in Germany. Together we made our way round town, singing songs all over the place, and the seeds were planted for what would be a long and continued friendship. Created through music, and sustained by music.

Well five years on last night, I had a chance to once again share the stage with Steffen and Karo of 'Once upon a Rooftop'. We have played together on a few occasions since, but I think last night in particular was a nice chance for all of us to reflect on the journey we've all had - a milestone of sorts. Each of us doing our own things in our own part of the world, yet all the while still connected and progressing together. It was great to see them perform live again, such a wonderful energy together on stage - a real truth and sincerity to the way they perform which has remain undiminished, in spite of fewer live performances in recent times. The venue itself (Pferdestall) was an old stable that has recently been converted into a bar/performance space. Pretty cool spot to sing a few songs, and enjoyed being able to play the last one of the night with Steffen and Karo... Thanks for a great night guys! Till next time... x

Ok I'm running late. I have a house concert in Stendal this afternoon. At Julia's mother's house! (Julia being Lena's counterpart in the VondoMachine...).

See you tomorrow... x

Days 23-25, Berlin

Hello again folks, you'll be pleased to know that 'Muckefuck' isn't Lena's subtle way of telling me I'm getting on her nerves (at least I don't think so...). It is in fact a variety of imitation coffee (sans caffeine), on account of us abstaining from the bean for a few days. Whether or not this is a good thing when you're on tour I can't exactly say, but in addition to the vegan challenge I'm currently undertaking (day 6 of 7, still alive) my body must be a little confused... It's a good thing I have some gigs to keep the insanity at bay. In any case, the tour diet is always subject to (i) fatigue, (ii) timing and (iii) the proximity of the venue to a kebab shop. Expect a return to normal proceedings soon enough...

Berlin is a great city. I'm always impressed that it has managed to retain its relaxed European 'community' feel (I'm sure there's a better way of saying that, but it's the morning after the gig the night before and I'm just getting started for the day so that's the best I could manage...), despite being one of the world's marquee destinations, often mentioned in the same breath as London, New York, Tokyo, Sydney etc... But by contrast, the rest of those places are typically bustling, fast-paced, high energy and a perhaps a bit impersonal (Paris I think is an exception there...), whereas you can stroll through most areas of Berlin and it always retains some element of tranquility. Rarely if ever do you see anyone in suits, bicycles are the most common mode of transport, it seems people can be who they want to be, without fear of judgement... There's something for everyone. If you want to eat gluten-free Japanese food listening to the greatest hits of George Michael, there's probably some place you can get your fix. If you want to ride around on a Vesper in a mankini with bunny ears, some people might even stop and give you a high 5. And if you want to put all this crap in your window (below), well the average Australian tourist might walk past and think 'what....the....f......?!', but most Berliners won't bat an eyelid.

When I first came to Berlin 5yrs ago I think a part of me wanted to dislike it. Perhaps because of it's popularity as a 'destination' for artists/musicians etc etc. Almost like saying 'I've lived in Berlin' was some sort of a badge of honour which meant that you were cooler in some way... And maybe that's the way some people think about it, I don't know... But what I realise from being here on repeated occasions is that Berlin is popular because it is completely accepting of anyone that arrives here. Sure there are the 'cool' set, the hipsters etc etc, but then there are plenty of normal people, just like you and me, going about their business, enjoying a relaxed pace of life, not having to fight through crowds everywhere, living in a far more natural rhythm than the average major city would allow. And for that reason, despite my initial hesitation, it has over the years become one of my favourite cities to visit. I've often thought I could live here, and perhaps one day I will... But for now it's nice to pass through places that have a bit of a 'home away from home' feel, and Berlin is certainly one of those.

Just the one show here this week, which was last night at Zimmer 16 in Pankrow (north Berlin). About a thousand attempts later, I am still finding it extremely difficult to say the word '16' in German, but nonetheless I gave it a go off the bat last night and it was met with at least mild approval by the crowd in attendance, save perhaps the slightly intoxicated woman up the back who provided a rolling commentary throughout the evening, my personal favourite being 'Poo!' at the end of one of my trademark RF heartbroken love songs. She didn't actually speak English, so I'm not sure what 'poo' means in German, but either way we all had a laugh about it and I decided to play something more up-beat for the next number...

Hecklers aside, a beautiful little venue, and a dedicated live music space which is always nice. Sort of a mini-theatre vibe. Unfortunately my old friend Mari Mana wasn't able to make it due to the dreaded flu (hope you're feeling better Mari!), but I enjoyed the opportunity to play two sets of songs, and great to be able to sing a few on the piano as well, a real treat when you're on the road. A big thanks to Diana, who I recruited at short notice to sing some BV's with me on a couple of songs, including a cover of George Harrison's 'Got my mind set on you' (which incidentally has one of the most terrible yet tremendous film clips you are ever likely to see... ). It's always great to play music with new people, everyone brings their own unique energy to the stage and for a few minutes we all get to share in that, performers and audience alike. Wunderbar. Hopefully we'll get a chance to do it again some day...

Anyway that'll do me. I'm off to find a mankini. Next stop Hemlstedt. On we go.... x